CAPE TOWN – Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has called on the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) to fully investigate and root out any gang links from its Central Line contracts, following shocking allegations that a notorious gang boss may have infiltrated the multi-billion-rand presidential reconstruction project.
Investigative Report
His demands come after an AmaBhungane investigative report revealed that alleged gang boss Ralph Stanfield appears to have used Prasa’s security chief to capture a share of the rail agency’s Cape Town Central Line reconstruction project. According to the investigative report violent disruption of the Central Line project created pressure for security solutions, after which companies linked to Stanfield and his wife Nicole Johnson positioned themselves as subcontractors within the reconstruction contracts, particularly through Mzansi Securifire, which received around R600-million in Central Line contracts from 2022 to 2024.
“I am calling on Prasa to suspend the implicated officials pending a full investigation, establish the total amount of contract-funding that flowed to gang-linked companies and pursue the black-listing of those companies where applicable,” said Hill-Lewis. “We know this can be done as the City successfully ensured the national blacklisting of more than a dozen gang-linked companies following our own investigations. The state must shut all potential avenues of funding to gangsterism and root out corrupt officials working with the underworld. In this way we will cut key funding streams to gang bosses off and reduce the scope for organised crime in our city.
Senior police
“Even more concerning is the reported alleged involvement of a senior police official, pressured to onboard gang-linked subcontractors. On 6 September 2022 Bishop Lavis’ then-Acting Police Station commander allegedly emailed crime-intelligence officers, Prasa executives and a main Central Line contractor, inviting them to meet the next day at Manenberg Police Station to discuss security issues. AmaBhungane reports that, based on its understanding, at this meeting Prasa’s contractor was introduced to representatives of two SMME security companies linked to Stanfield – GParm Protection Services and PPE Security and Projects – and were told they would help resolve the security situation, along with Yibaninati (Pty) Ltd, founded by Johnson, Stanfield’s wife. The implications of gang infiltration into the police are simply too serious to ignore,” said Hill-Lewis.
“That is why I further call on the police Provincial Commissioner to initiate a full investigation into the circumstances of this meeting at Manenberg Police Station, where an acting station commander was said to have actively promoted Stanfield-linked security SMMEs to a Prasa contractor. There were several people reportedly present, including Prasa officials and the contractor, who can account for the true events of that day. All of this is in the context of Prasa’s security chief allegedly actively promoting Stanfield-linked companies, even in the face of contractor push-back, seemingly in an attempt to get Prasa’s procurement machinery to adjust the main contracts so the agency could subcontract Stanfield-Johnson-linked companies as its security providers. It is reported that contractor push-back culminated on 20 September 2022, with Prasa’s Western Cape lead programme manager emailing the Central Line main contractors to indicate he had raised their concerns with Prasa CEO Hisham Emeran. He had asked that the contractors duly inform Prasa in writing about ‘your reservations about the onboarding of the identified SMMEs and the facilitators.’”
The Central Line, which connects communities across the Northern Suburbs and broader Cape Town, has been a critical transport artery for thousands of daily commuters before its closure due to vandalism and safety concerns.
McKenzie
In the meantime Chairperson of Subcouncil 15, Angus McKenzie, added his voice to that of Hill-Lewis. Part of the Prasa project are upgrades to Bonteheuwel Station, in an area that is part of Subcouncil 15, and according to McKenzie he found the alleged links between organised crime figures and project contractors “deeply concerning”. “As subcouncil chair I believe it is important that the facts regarding my involvement and the role played by the subcouncil be placed clearly on record. At the outset of the Central Line upgrade project I attended an introductory meeting with Prasa officials, the initial contractor appointed to carry out the work and the head of Prasa security. At that meeting we were briefed on the roll-out plan, work packages and the implementation timeline for the rebuilding of the line.”
Limited
He said at the time the subcouncil was requested to assist, “in a limited but important way”, the recruitment of local labour, particularly by permitting CV drop boxes to be placed in the area so residents could apply for employment opportunities linked to the rebuilding of the line. “These CVs were collected directly by Prasa officials and the contractor to ensure local residents could benefit from the project. From the very beginning I made my position exceptionally clear to Prasa, to the head of security and the contractor present there would be zero tolerance of any involvement of gangs, extortionists or criminal elements in projects taking place within my area of responsibility. I further made it clear that if any of this occurred Prasa had a direct obligation to report such matters to the police.”
To support this, McKenzie said he went as far as establishing a direct communication and reporting channel for project stakeholders and police so any incidents could immediately be reported to law enforcement.
Challenges
But several months into the project serious challenges began to emerge. “Reports surfaced of gang-related violence, attacks on contractors and even killings linked to the Central Line construction process. Importantly, these incidents did not occur at Bonteheuwel Station but rather in areas around Kalksteenfontein and Netreg. Whenever information was brought to my attention I personally ensured those reports were passed directly to the police through the communication platform that had been established. This included the contractor, Prasa officials and security stakeholders linked to the project. It therefore came as a shock to the subcouncil when we were later informed that the contract had been suspended. At the same time troubling rumours began circulating that the contract had been extorted by criminal elements and that individuals linked to organised crime had become involved in the project.”
Unopened
Large sections of the Central Line remained unopened and progress on certain parts of the project appeared to be stalled. “It is important to note that on the Bonteheuwel side the railway line infrastructure has been completed and the walling project has already commenced,” McKenzie pointed out. “This progress has been possible because I have been unwavering in my position that gangsters and extortionists will not benefit from projects within my area of oversight. We have demonstrated this approach across multiple projects, including municipal developments such as the Bonteheuwel housing project, which proceeded without extortion and without disruption.”
